Insider Extra: Take a tour of the new Volusia County Center for Troubled Youth.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida. News 6 takes an inside look at a new place where kids in need go in Volusia County.

Before the new Juvenile Assessment Center opened late last year, there was no place for troubled youth in the area other than the county jail or their own home.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who has pushed for the new center for years, said the newly opened facility has already provided more than 100 children with the care they need.

Chitwood added that he prefers to call the facility “Family Resource Center”.

Watch Sheriff Mike Chitwood tour the new Family Resource Center in the media player below:

“We have a juvenile detective who is also here,” Chitwood said.

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But this is not a prison. And it’s not just a detention center.

For the first time, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has brought together children’s experts and professionals in one place to help children with all aspects of their struggle.

“Mental health, drug awareness, anger management, life skills, everything the assessment can provide,” Chitwood said. “It can be as simple as mentoring.”

Chitwood introduced News 6 to Mrs. Moore, who has an office in the Family Resource Center.

“Mrs. Moore from the Orphanage Society, she’s one of our breadwinners,” Chitwood said.

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Moore, a counselor, is tasked with understanding why a child is in trouble.

“We find a lot of mental health issues,” she said. “There is a lot of scary behavior going on in the house. Children behave naughty, some are dangerous.

Moore discovers problems that have never been solved.

“The parents have run out of ideas, they are tired, they need our help,” she said.

Chitwood then introduced News 6 to Deputy Estrella, a father of five handpicked for the Family Resource Center to be more of a mentor than a cop.

“He has a softer uniform, it’s not the typical green uniform with green pants,” Chitwood said. “He understands what it means to be a stepfather, he understands what it means to have a child with special needs.”

Specialists from the Volusia County School District also have an office at the Family Resource Center. Their goal is to keep children in school or get them back to school.

Chitwood said every juvenile taken into custody in his county now comes to the Family Resource Center and leaves with much more than a court date.

“Now when we drop them and leave, we are putting them in the hands of providers who specialize in dealing with juvenile delinquents,” Chitwood said. “(Before the Family Resource Center) it didn’t work, it was a completely disjointed system. If you look at the 12 and 14 year olds who opened fire on us, 14 year old Baker was 14 times. How do you get Baker to play 14 times in 14 years? And nothing was done.”

Chitwood said that no child would ever slip through the cracks in Volusia County again.

“When that child gets into trouble and walks through the door, you now have specialists – the best in their field – who can identify so you know why your child is behaving this way,” Chitwood said. “You are already at the lowest level, so our job is to restore you. And with all the services here, we are trying to give you the opportunity to win. Victory in life.

Chitwood said the plan is for all Volusia County police agencies to start recruiting troubled youth to the Family Resource Center, but some have been slow to do so.

And Chitwood urged any parent who has a problem with a child to come at any time to take advantage of all available services. Find out more here.

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